caravans and next door neighbours

[chokkie]

Hello, can anyone out there help, please ... we have the misfortune to live next door to a very inconsiderate family. A couple of years ago they purchased a large caravan and an additional car. The caravan only just fits in their driveway, and one of the two cars is parked in front of it, and they park the car at a very skew-wiff angle in their drive, so it can be a bit tricky when we want to get out of our driveway .... and sometimes they park the other car in front of our house (which bugs me no end when there is a perfectly acceptable space in front of their house). Anyway .... they only take the caravan away on holiday 2 or 3 times a year, so it's parked outside their house for most of the year.

We don't talk to our neighbours (long story dating back to when they moved in), so we don't know what to do. This huge caravan (it's not a motor home, they hook it up to their car), sits in their drive most of the year, blocks out the top bit of the street, so when he's parked his other car outside our house, we feel rather hemmed in and isolated.

Is there anything we can do, I don't suppose there's any law that prevents people from parking what they like in their driveway ..., but we just feel so hemmed in and it's horrible looking at a vast expanse of cream coloured metal all the time, rather than the houses up the street. Not to mention that the 'van takes up so much room that when we're in our driveway, we knock our car doors against the side of the 'van every time we open them to get in or out!

Anyway advice would be gratefully received, please.

Many thanks, Chox.

[cassa333]

There may be a convenant in the deeds that prohibits the parking of caravans or other large motors, such as work vans, in the driveways. You would have to check the deeds.

However even if there is it could be costly to enforce.

How old is the road you live in? Have other home oners used their driveways for caravans or work vans etc?If not too old then the developer may still hold some of the common areas/roadways or the local council and HA if they have been adopted so they may (probably not if they have to pay) enforce any covanant that may exist.

[samak]

What do you expect from caravanners? I had a similar problem when they lived next to me. Complete t0ssers.

[bednobs]

i wonder where else they would put it? if it wasn't on their drive, it would be outside your house perhaps?

[boxtops]

My niece has a caravan, they park it (with permission) in a farmer's field to keep it out of sight. Perhaps your neighbours are using it as an extra room? If so I believe that is against the law....

[chokkie]

Thanks for your responses. It had, infact, been suggested that we look at our housedeeds, but haven't done that yet. There is another neighbour who used to have a 'van, but they have a much bigger drive .... we just can't understand why he has to park it in his drive, and not in a proper 'van park .... yes you're right samak, we agree with you. Maybe the best thing to do in the first place is to dig out the deeds. Appreciate all your advice folks. Chox.

[chokkie]

Thankfully, though, it's all OK at the moment, 'cos neighbours are away with the caravan and there's only one car in the drive. So we've got the light back on our house for a short while, and we can see the other houses for the time being!

[daffy654]

///i wonder where else they would put it? if it wasn't on their drive, it would be outside your house perhaps?///

Bednobs, there are storage yards for caravans all over the country, this is usually a secure yard or a farmer's field. There is no need for anyone to keep a caravan on their driveway really.

[jackthehat]

Except the cost..................why pay when you can keep it at home.....for free ?

[hc4361]

A lot of caravaners prefer to keep their caravan in a proper storage facility - there is nothing better to advertise an empty house than the absence of a caravan.

[joko]

as you have said yourself, they are entitled to keep it there.

i expect it hasnt even occurred to them that you dont like it

i think to begin with you would be best starting off in a friendly way - going straight in with the legalities is sure to get their backs up and make them actively want to annoy you... i know it would for me

id suggest trying to arrange a meeting or if thats really not a good idea, send a letter politely outlining the problem - dont be accusatory, moany or try to make them feel bad...keep it all about how it makes you feel, not about how selfish you feel they are - that will only inspire defence...

is there anywhere nearby they could put it? a patch of land? another driveway? - if you can offer a solution to them it may help...

[saxy_jag]

We don't have caravan problems, but we do have a family across the road who moved in and took to parking their umpteen vehicles in front of everyone's house except their own, even though they have a drive long enough for three or four cars. So we all took to parking in front of their house and, on one occasion, my neighbour parked his car directly across their drive so they had to come and speak to him - at which point he explained in no uncertain terms why he'd done it. We've also blocked in their vehicles by parking very close in front of and behind them. A few times like this and they soon got the message.

HC is correct. We store ours at a yard, mainly because we don't have room on our drive for it, and the yard owners have a number of clients who have come to them after their houses had been burgled whilst on holiday or even had their vans stolen from outside the house. It's worth the money for the 24/7 security and the discount we get on the caravan insurance.

Not sure what the laws are regarding using the caravan as an extra room when it's on your own land. You'd need to check with the local council. I do know that most commercial caravan/camping site owners have to restrict the number of consecutive nights you can camp on a site and that's largely to do with local bylaws.

[chokkie]

Thanks again folks. NDN is a real cheapskate, so he wouldn't even dream of paying to store his 'van if he can shove it on his driveway ... and we are pretty convinced that they know it irritates the pants off of us ..... We've lost count of the number of our friends who come round to see us at our house and comment on the monstrosity in the drive next door!

[maclarencat]

If it blocking your vision getting out of your drive maybe there is something you can do with regards to road safety. You could ask the council highways dept just a sugestion. However I would be careful about knocking your car doors on their van They may decide to claim damages from you if it is on their drive it means you are opening your door onto their drive.

[Hopkirk]

?

http://4.bp.blogspot....400/burnt+caravan.jpg

[The-Toff-]

Contact your council and ask what your rights are, i am sure they will do something about your problem.

[soaps]

Toff, I dont think the council give-a-damn. nor the police! they are afraid to deal with these people ..............Good luck Chox.

[welshlibranr]

I agree with the toff, contact your local council, they may be able to help if they are blocking your vision when driving off your driveway, worth a shot!.........

[The-Toff-]

they are not afraid to deal with this kind of thing in Stoke soaps, nothing to do with the police.